Last night the Art Ranch was transported, Wizard of Oz-style, to the English countryside. The weather matched the mood in the Great Room. Temperatures outside hoovered around 50 degrees. Inside the fireplace burned as Chris Stern played a variety of British and American folk songs, adding his own beautiful tunes between them. The melodic songs set a quiet, relaxed tone, soothing the hearts and souls of the listeners that filled the room.
Many of the songs he sang I did not know personally, except the Simon and Garfunkle standards -- Julio down by the schoolyard, and Scarborough Faire, parsley, sage, etc... The songs I didn't know must be well-known folk or traditional songs in other places besides the states because a South African couple that comes to many of our music nights sang along to most of his songs. I also recognized many other tunes that I've heard in the past but I don't know the titles, only snippets of the lyrics. Even though I'm generally not a folkie and both bored and put to sleep by folksie lullabyes, I enjoyed this show. It gave me great pride that our country does have some songs we all know and share in common -- like the Woody Guthrie and Buddy Holly songs that Bob Livingston sang on Friday night.
I didn't know much about Chris Stern before he showed up. He has Facebook page but no Myspace page. A Google search of him pulls up a very limited and sketchy picture in a day and age where the internet as a medium is so necessary for an independent muscian. When I asked Chris about this issue he said he's just very disorganized. It is clear that he is a muscians musician. He's not into self-promotion or other worldly pursuits. Chris is here for the music. That fact is clear from his stage presence -- a graviational force that pulls the listener closer in. From here Chris headed to Austin and then Wimberly to close out his Texas shows. When he comes back to the states next year from Yorkshire, U.K., he will be on the bill here at the Art Ranch on the Brazos de Dios.
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